In Memoriam

DRT has 56 animals in memoriam. Scroll down to see all of of them.

LENNOX-Tahoe
10/10/2003

It is with the greatest personal sadness and loss that I must relay that Friday, October 10th, Lennox-Tahoe lost his battle with cancer. Those of you who knew Lennox realize that the bright spirit that lay at the end of those introspective eyes has not died and will live in each of us as fond memories. In a life beset by many health issues, Lennox bravely met each new challenge and moved beyond the the Demodex mange, heartworm treatment, lousy first adopter, loss of one leg to Osteosarcoma and chemotherapy to infuse us with his warmth and affection.

To his "parents" Dee and Jeff, we extend our deepest sorrow. We all loved "our Lennox, - Lennie, Tahoe, LT" and know that he is on a less troubled journey now. For those of us who were captured by his presence, we know his mission is not over...one journey is ended and another begun!

Lennox-Tahoe represents all those beloved Dobes that have passed through our lives. Our intention is to maintain his presence on this page as a lasting tribute out of respect for his brave fight and as a symbol of all those we all have loved and lost.

ABIGAIL
06/30/2018

Abigail became very sick last Thursday and we made the difficult decision to have her put to sleep. She began with diarrhea Thursday evening, Friday she stopped eating and drinking. She became very weak. When she walked her back legs would give out after a few steps. Friday night she began bleeding from her nose. I leaned over to give her a gentle hug and she yelped. By Saturday she could not walk and her breathing was abnormal. We took her to the vet and we all concluded that she was in pain. He could prescribe strong pain medication, but that would only be treating the symptoms. She was 14 years 11 months old. She was a wonderful member of our family. We loved her very much and she knew it.

We are so thankful that you rescued her and that we were approved to be her new family.

This email is so hard to write. I'm sitting here crying. The house feels so empty without her. I thought you would want to know.

Thanks for the wonderful work you do.

She was beautiful. Her eyes, her stance, alertness when focused on something and begging. Yesterday was a bad day as I was looking at all the pictures and trying to write the memorial. It was hard to be concise. I had a video of her "dance and prance" but I didn't know how to remove the part that was not related to her.

Right after she passed I immediately put up her beds, feeding bowls, washed her blankets, etc. I thought that would help me if I didn't see the reminders. Now I see the vacant places where they were and question whether that was the right thing to do. When I've been out of the house or outside I ask Vaughn "where's Abigail?" and he would do the same. In the afternoon, we would always drink a cup of coffee and sit on the front porch. She knew when I made the coffee that we were going on the porch and if we didn't go immediately she would do her "dance and prance". She was so used to the routine. During the day, we say to each other what Abigail would be doing such as: she would be on her bed in front of the fireplace; did she eat all of her food; we would hear her eating and ask or say she's eating the dry food. She was loosing weight so we kept two different dry foods our and a small amount of can food. We also had water and a small amount of food in our bedroom.

She was wonderful and we miss her dearly. I'm crying again as I write this.

Thank you for rescuing her and giving us the opportunity to spend the last few years with her.

RHIANNA
05/30/2018

Hi Carol,

I’ve meant to sit down and send you an update on Anna (fna Rhianna) for several months and just never seemed to be able to find the time. Now I have to be the bearer of sad news and let you know that we lost Anna this morning. Back in early March her vet heard a Stage II heart murmur during her check-up. He immediately did an ECG and referred us to a cardiologist in Virginia Beach. It took a couple of weeks to get her in and after all of his testing and more ECGs he told us that she had DCM and Congestive Heart Failure. He didn’t give us a very optimistic outlook for her. Since March she’s been on several heart medications along with multiple check-ups along the way. Other than knowing that she tired easily you wouldn’t know that she had heart problems. She was still active and full of life – chasing squirrels, rabbits, hawks and anything else that dared to enter her property.

I stayed home today from work. I can’t explain it but I had a very strong feeling that I needed to be home today. Anna and I came in from a quick squirrel hunt and a bathroom break around 9:30 AM. She plopped down on the floor by my chair as normal and within a few seconds she let out a short gasp and died. It was very fast and she wasn’t in any pain and she didn’t suffer. At least now she won’t have to take pills upon pills every day.

She had become such a wonderful girl. We all loved her so very, very much. She was such a big part of our family. Everyone who knew us always told us how spoiled rotten she was. I loved spending time with her and couldn’t wait to get home to be with her. She was truly my best friend. It really hurts right now and I’m (we’re) going to miss her so much. There is a huge void in our home now.

I knew this day was going to come but I didn’t expect it to come so soon. I’m grateful beyond words to have been able to have her in our life. She brought so much love and happiness to all of us. I know she knew that she was loved by her family too. All of us made it a point to tell her that several times every single day. We fought it as best as we could but it was her time. I am so glad that I was with her and she knew she wasn’t alone. It’s going to be rough for awhile because she was so much a part of our daily lives.

Right now I don’t know if I can go thru this again with another Dobie or not. I’m also not sure if I can not have one in my life. They are so goofy and have such a personality that our home is empty without having one with us. We’ll see how we feel after a little time has passed. Right now we need to mourn Anna and remember her for all the truly wonderful things that she brought to us.

We are heart broken and miss her terribly already but we want to remember all of the good times and the tremendous joy and happiness that she brought to us. Her time with us was way too short but it was full of love! Even the times she wanted to bring baby bunnies and box turtles into the house with a trail of mud!

The best way we know to honor her and all of her brothers and sisters is to continue to have a beautiful Dobie running things for us. I know I’m going to need a little time to get thru her loss – she truly was my best buddy, but if a Dobergirl shows up on your doorstep that you think needs us, please let me know. I’ll keep an eye on your web site too. Thank-you for all that you do.

Some of our favorite pictures are attached. Hope I didn’t overload your In Box. Please feel free to use whatever ones you want to. Looking at these pictures is hard but brings so much happiness at the same time. We loved our sweet girl and she’s already missed so very, very much.

Don

CLOVER
05/09/2018

Hey Carol, Please Post..

We lost our sweet Chloe(aka.Clover) May 9th to Muscular Myapothy.. She fought a bitter fight till the end .

Chloe was turned into rescue in favor of the family Boxer. Good thing for us as Chloe become the queen of our home . A 5ft fence could hold her!!!

We now have 11 yrs of wonderful memories that will be with us forever.

We miss her dearly and will someday meet again with Magnum, Xena, and Max..

Polly & Tim

DAZZLE
05/08/2018

Storm, aka Dazzle, came into our lives on 2/3/18. When we named her we had no idea she would take her name so seriously. Like any storm they come into your life without rhyme or reason. Our girl was no exception. She came in and turned our world upside down in all possible ways. We loved her with all we had and then some. She was a ball of energy and at your side in the blink of an eye. On May 7th she woke me with a nudge, as if to say something was wrong. We rushed her to the ER where they tried to find the cause of her neurological deficits and nose bleed but it proved to be too much for her. On the night of May 8th we had to make the difficult decision, but know she’s in a better place. She’s at peace. She will be missed by all who’s life she touched. God speed Storm. Until we meet again. 💗. The Millers

GUNTER
04/12/2018

NICO (fna Gunter) d. 4-12-18

Carol--

It has taken me a while to be able to send you this email, but we felt you should know that our dear sweet energetic Nico died very suddenly last Thursday. The vet said it was distal cardiomyopathy. Needless to say we are devastated. There is a saying that those who burn twice as bright only burn half as long. He certainly burned bright!

He went every where with us and had become such a good off leash pup in the mountains. And he loved the water!! And chasing butterflies and hiking trails...he truly was special! He has friends all through the High Country of NC!! And downtown Greensboro! He would stop in at my office and was the master of the big dog room at Ruff Housing! Nico touched a lot of people's lives and taught many that Dobermans truly are kind hearted dogs who love life on a level that can rarely be reached by humanity!!

He completely took over our lives and we will forever miss him. But at the same time are ever grateful for him and you and DRT for giving us the honor of living with a Dobie!!

Scott and Su

LANCE
04/05/2018

My dear sweet little Lance (f/n/a Chestnut) has been struggling with Wobbler’s and spinal Spondylosis and DCM but as far as he was concerned there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. The day his heart stopped on its own Lance had earlier experienced three collapsing episodes. We were alerted to the first one by his Labrador brother Zeus who became frantic and loud and allowed us to get to Lance in time to bring him around by massaging him all over. He gasped and sat up and was okay. We knew his time was just around the corner. Prescriptions and supplements can only work so long but he defied reason, logic and prognosis, his favorite vet told me. At age 11 he still made sure he stayed involved with the family and took his daily walks with Bob and bossed Zeus and Rhetta while we made sure he had all the support, comforts and love a Dobe could hope for. His appetite became very poor this past year so homemade stews with fresh human meats and vegetables every day, 2 or 3 times a day kept his energy up. We also stopped going camping. He couldn’t travel well and we wouldn’t leave him home with anyone because we didn’t want him to stress. We’d make the same choices again for him if we could.

We adopted Lance from his Mama Carol when he was 13 months old. We are so thankful he came into our lives. He was just so good. Once in a while he’d get into mischief and it was hard for me to believe he was the one who pulverized a comforter.

At 5 PM Thursday, April 5, 2018, Lance ran out to greet Dr. Tru the Hospice vet who was coming to evaluate his current condition. He was so happy to see her and then took off in his Wobbler's waddle down the driveway and fell over. We all ran to him and learned his heart stopped. We opted not to resuscitate him as he was in the very late stages of DCM and his Wobbler's was beginning to take its toll. He was an adorable little rescue who brought cheer to countless numbers of school children, frail elderly, infirmed and battered women and their children as a therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International, Inc. Lance made it 8 months more than his vet ever expected. He was truly a survivor, having endured harsh treatment, neglect and abandonment as a youngster. And still he loved everyone. He’s resting peacefully on the hill on the mountain next to Darby, his best girl, who succumbed to renal cancer a year and a half ago. They both lived to be 11 and are my angels watching over me.

Samson_Sammy
02/11/2018

Dear Carol:

After 13.5 really great years I had to let my sweet Sammy (fna AndyPup) cross the rainbow bridge on Sunday night. It was (and always is) one of the hardest things we have to do as dog parents but I knew it was time and he was suffering. I was out of my mind Sunday before we made the decision trying to figure out what was best. Ifthere's one thing I simply can't stand it's to see a dog suffer, especiallyMY dog. Thankfully, it was only one day as up until then, though he wasdeclining, he went with us for our walk every day and would go two or threetimes a day if we could.

He and Emmy did beautifully together. He needed a leader and she was morethan up to the task! Wayne said that "now Emmy will need someone else to bossaround and it will probably be me!" Emmy actually adopted Wayne before Idid last February because he would come over for dinner and would play tugwith her for hours and she knew right away she wanted him to come and livewith us. It took me a little longer as I don't have the same sense ofcharacter judgment that dogs have. Sammy adopted Wayne too but he was likeme - it took him a little longer, though after Wayne fed them a few times hewas won over.

Though we are grieving hard for our lost friend who saw me through the lossof my father in Dec. 2004, my mother in March 2012, my brother in June 2015,Delilah in Feb. 2016 and my best friend of 35 years in August of 2017, weare trying to remember the good times and dwell on the immeasurable joy hebrought into our lives for such a long time. He and Delilah wereinseparable and were truly a pack, but he accepted Emmy too, albeit after abit of arguing over the big fluffy chair. They finally had an arrangementthat worked pretty well - Sammy had dibs on the chair during the day but atnight he'd sleep on his big fluffy bed and Emmy would sleep in the chair.She did occasionally get in the chair during the day for a nap if he was outon his bed in another room but for the most part they stuck to thatarrangement. They scoured the woods together here and watched the squirrelsplay in the yard, remembering the days when they could actually catch one!Though those days were long gone, they still enjoyed lying out under thecovered porch on their beds watching the boats go by on the lake andgreeting all our guests who came to see us. I thought I was going to haveto hide Emmy when I had the house warming party in 2016 as everyone who camefrom Memphis (my brother's friends) wanted to take her home with them. Shewas truly the hit of the party with them and certainly was the hit withSamson.

I haven't slept well since Sunday night and I hear Emmy getting out of thechair and going all over the house looking for him during the night, andthen she comes back into our room, walks over to my side of the bed andnudges me and we cry together. She helps much with the grief as understandsmore than we do I think. I know she misses him too, but Emmy will bounceback more quickly than we will.

One day, we will find another furry friend for Emmy but right now we need togrieve our loss and pay tribute to the handsome man who stole my heart andtook care of me for a very long time, long before Wayne Jones entered thepicture. Wayne told him Sunday night he didn't have to worry about mommy -that he was going to take care of mommy now and Sammy could go on across therainbow bridge and catch up with Delilah.

May God bless all the dogs who have graced our lives and made them better,full of love and laughter and peace and joy, and may he bless you for thework you do in saving them and ensuring they are placed in homes where theyare loved "to the moon and back!" You needn't worry about Sammy or Emmy.They have my whole heart, and painful as the parting is, I wouldn't have itany other way!

Beth (Durrance) Jones

MAXIM f/n/a MATT
01/22/2018

Maxim….We loved you for the beautiful and loving dog that you were….You were so full of life…We shared so many happy and fun times with you…You loved car rides and going to the beach….chasing the seagulls…and the ocean foam…We loved coming home to you, and how your whole body would wiggle with happiness…You were a loyal companion and protector, who loved us so much…Words cannot describe how much we will miss you…We know you are in a peaceful place running free and chasing all the squirrels…We know you will watch over us, and comfort us in our lives…we will see you again my beautiful Maxim…

RODNEY
08/19/2017

Our big red Doberboy, Rodney, crossed rainbow bridge this morning. After 3 months at Elijah's House running in the fields, playing hide and seek with friends and volunteers, and receiving lots of love and treats, Rodney decided it was time to go home.

He was doing incredibly well on his medications to treat his DCM and always surprised us with his bursts of energy and playful nature. Over the last week, his health and overall demeanor began to show signs of deterioration, and his heart was beginning to give out. After seeming a bit off earlier in the week, his appetite was quickly gone, and his usual joyful romps in the fields were more about finding a place to rest. He collapsed, as is common with DCM, and was soon quickly out of any distress he felt.

We will miss this big bundle of joy so much, and he has undoubtedly left a special mark in all of our hearts. We love you, sweet Rodney!

Annalee
07/16/2017

Dear Carol:

You asked that I write a memorial in honor of Annalee, who passed July 16th of this year. I have attempted this several times and couldn't bring myself to do it. The shock and grief over her death has overwhelmed and consumed us, but I have steeled myself to do this to honor a wonderful companion and devoted friend. Annalee was not our first Dobiegirl. We waited years to get another Dobie because our last one, Toya, was so amazing we didn't think it fair to have another because we would always compare them. But in our hearts and after 3 other wonderful dogs, we decided we were ready to have another Dobie. Annalee did not disappoint. I believe that she picked us when you first introduced us to her and the feeling was mutual. She immediately made herself at home with us and even made a friend of our cat! We adored and loved her as much as she was devoted to us. She always made sure, no matter where we were in or outside the house, that we were always within sight. She demanded affection, hugs, belly rubs and kisses by either pawing us, poking us with her nose or staring at us and giving us her special bark all the while wagging her tail ferociously. It took her almost 9 months before she learned how to play with us, but once she did it was "game on"; running, charging and body-slamming. She gave great kisses and "chin nips".

Unfortunately, we only had the gift of her prince for 3 1/2 years before she was diagnosed with the deadly heart condition of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Her time with us was too short but in that time she was such a joy to us. As the tears roll down my face and blur my vision, I feel blessed for every day she was in our life. As we gave her a good life, l believe we had a duty and responsibility to give her a good passing. What sustains me and gives me comfort is that we gave her a good life and love, she loved us, she never suffered and was not in pain, her passing was peaceful and she was not alone when she crossed over.

We will, in time, recover from the loss of Annalee and get to the point where we can remember her without grief. She will always live on in our memories. Life has not ended for Annalee, she has just started on another journey.

We will be reaching out to you again to find us another Dobie and will welcome the opportunity to open our hearts and home to another. Thank you so much for the gift of Annalee.

Karen & Dominic

FESTER
06/13/2017

Sweet Uncle Fester crossed Rainbow Bridge. We knew when we adopted him that it was possible we would not have much time, and that we would need to make the most of the time he had left on this earth. Truly, we had the BEST 8 months spoiling him and showing him that despite his traumatic past, he could be happy, feel safe, and most importantly, feel loved. He was loved by so many, and he was always the star of the show! Uncle Fester had an unbelievable ability to make you feel like you were the only person in the room. Those soulful eyes cut right through you, and you couldn’t help but feel his love and affection. There aren’t enough positive adjectives in the dictionary to define how wonderful he was- he was one-of-a-kind, and he was an angel. We loved this boy more than words can describe, and we miss him so incredibly much. Until we meet again, sweet boy!! Carly & Blake

JACIE
05/16/2017

Jacie Memorial

It is with the heaviest heart that I tell you that I lost my precious Jacie (aka Jacie Pup) on Monday, May 15th. She was only 15 months old. She struggled with progressing myelopathy and lost the complete use of her back legs. Despite her limitations, she was a very happy and engaged Dobergirl. A true Velcro Dobe. She was the most affectionate dog that I’ve ever had. She loved wagon rides and had become comfortable in her wheel chair. She loved playing with our other doggies and even with a drag bag, kept up with the others as if she had no limitations at all. She was amazing! She was a fighter.

Jacie truly was a special girl. It didn’t take long to see that I was the one that was rescued. She taught me a lot about myself. She was my angel. I miss her dearly and will always love my Jacie. Thank you Carol for giving me the opportunity to have been in Jacie’s life.Jacie Memorial

It is with the heaviest heart that I tell you that I lost my precious Jacie (aka Jacie Pup) on Monday, May 15th. She was only 15 months old. She struggled with progressing myelopathy and lost the complete use of her back legs. Despite her limitations, she was a very happy and engaged Dobergirl. A true Velcro Dobe. She was the most affectionate dog that I’ve ever had. She loved wagon rides and had become comfortable in her wheel chair. She loved playing with our other doggies and even with a drag bag, kept up with the others as if she had no limitations at all. She was amazing! She was a fighter.

Jacie truly was a special girl. It didn’t take long to see that I was the one that was rescued. She taught me a lot about myself. She was my angel. I miss her dearly and will always love my Jacie. Thank you Carol for giving me the opportunity to have been in Jacie’s life.

KARLOFF
03/29/2017

Hi Carol,

I want to thank you for bringing us together with Karloff 8 ½ years ago, and letting us bring him home to be part of our family.

He lived 10 ½ years, which was the longest lifetime of the 6 dobermans we have had so far.

He was a joy every single day, EVERY DAY!

He was diagnosed with cardiomegaly almost a year ago and his heart was only pumping 15% of what it should have been.

We were introduced to the drug Vetmedin, which did wonders for him for quite some time, until March 29th, we had to put him down as he was beginning to suffer.

I want to focus on the joy he brought into our lives from the day we picked him up.

Karloff was an old soul, and had been through some hard times.

For the first couple of weeks he would sit by us on the couch but was afraid to lie down.

We dressed him up for the superbowl, and you can see in his eyes, he wasn’t sure if this was going to be a good thing or not……and quite often he went into his doggie pen to have alone time until he was sure we would always be good to him J

We won him over before long and he was just the happiest dog you’ve ever seen.

He LOVED walking in the woods, just loved it! We did this nearly every day.

Blue was his favorite color and even though I bought balls of many colors, he always wanted the blue one! (Jilly picked right up on this so sometimes she would hide it from him!)

He was so easy to take on vacation and stayed in a number of hotels!

Children and strangers loved him and often commented on how beautiful he was.

They would come and pet him kindly and he would look away, not wanting to give the impression he would entertain going off with them. He conveyed, “I’m staying with my mom”.

He really loved his daddy! He would watch him in awe, and I would tell him, “You,ve got a good daddy now, a real good daddy!”

The first time he saw horses he just could not believe his eyes! And the first time he saw a crane fly, his jaw dropped and he looked at me like, “Did you see what just happened?!” He had only seen them standing until that day!

He had a great big family that loved him and he was the TOP DOG!

When his dog family came to visit he welcomed them but remained in charge.

One Christmas he ate an entire cheeseball off the table in one gulp!

He became a trusting, loyal family member and was always happy, ALWAYS!

Always loved the belly rub, and the butt scratch!

He would back his rear end up to any and everyone in hopes of a good scratch!

The vets adored him! (Remember when I used to have to have the vets put him under anesthesia to cut his toenails? He was so afraid of that.)

He was such a joy, so kind hearted and sweet.

He was a real good boy, and we told him so every day until he believed it, and them kept telling him so he never forgot it.

We sure do miss him,

Pattie & D Tuttle

JUBILEE
02/06/2017

We hesitated telling you this only because we thought being in your position you hear it often, and would imagine it never gets any easier. Jubilee crossed the rainbow bridge a week ago. As you can imagine we are devastated, as is our other two dogs. Tessee especially. Jubilee had a lot of issues, i wont list them all i'm sure you know most....her legs were failing her badly, two vets couldn't figure it out. She began falling down. Inside, outside....stumbling constantly, couldn't squat to go the bathroom and get up without help.She took a couple nasty falls down the front steps and back, she hurt herself bad. I put foam at the base of the steps....tried to help her and she would get scared and try to run and make it worse. It was at that point after a long consult with our vet we decided it was time. Was the worst thing we've ever done. Im tearing up writing this so i'm gonna stop here. You were always helpful to us with your advice. The past week has been hard. Tessee is lost, the house has a void that can't be replaced, she was special, but we know we did the right thing.We gave her the best life we could. We have talked about getting another Dobe...and after watching Tessee this past week we believe it would be the right thing to do.....so we will be watching your website....the heart break is unbearable but we believe that we were chosen to do what we can to help another dog...Fred and Sandy, Tessee and Sadie

EASTER
01/07/2017

We lost our beautiful Callie (f/n/a Easter) angel Saturday. Around 9:15 after playing and running in the snow she suffered a sudden heart attack and died. We are in shock, as we planned to have her for many more years. She came to us just less than 10 months ago. A perfect lady in the house from the beginning, loved to play with us and all her pals at the dog park. We loved our daily walks twice a day on wooded trails and at parks. She came to us at the right time even if it was too short. We can never replace her and will love her forever. Donna and Buddy

CHISEL
12/31/2016

Hi Carol,

It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you of Chisel's passing. He lost the battle of cancer on 12/31/16. He was such a great dog. I could never truly put into words how wonderful he was. He loved to play. We have two little ones ( 4 & 2 ) and they just loved playing with him. They loved playing hide and seek with him and inviting him into their playhouse with them. He was such a good listener. Every time he saw one of us, he had this look of excitement even towards the end. He was so full of love and will be so missed. He was the protector of our family. I know Ranger (brother) misses him as well. They have been together for so many years.

--

Stephanie & Todd

CHLOE
12/31/2016

Princess Chloe of Carolina,

AKC Titles: BN, CD, GN, RE, THDX

10/15/2005-12/31/2016

We lost a piece of our hearts on New Year's Eve from cardiomyopathy. Chloe was not only a cherished member of our family. She helped me train countless dogs in Beaufort, many of whom became therapy dogs and competition obedience dogs.

As a therapy dog, her legacy reaches far and wide as she brought smiles and joy to the elderly, Marines, and wounded warriors. She completed hundreds of therapy dog visits and assisted local school children with their reading while at the same time teaching them what a true companion dog can be.

We thank you for the opportunity to love Chloe and share our lives with her. She will live on in our memories, and we hope to be reunited with her someday.

Chloe in Front- Charleston: Competing for obedience titles with Rebecca

IMG 2556: Helping elementary school students improve their reading in the ARF! (Animals make Reading Fun Program) that we started with Chloe in 2009

IMG 9132: Chloe with an obedience title ribbon

GUCCI
12/18/2016

"GUNNER" (f/n/a Gucci)

We lost Gunner yesterday, 18 December 2016 at noon to an apparent heart attack. We had him for 18 months. When we first got him, he was recovering from Heartworm, and Demedex Mange. DRT got him back to health, and we finished the process.

He was a joy, and an occasional headache, but he was a wonderful dog and companion. He had a perverse nature, and generally did what he wanted to do instead of what he was told to do. He had the run of the farm and would go for an occasional walk about. Once he was well enough to go without a leash, he quickly defined the part of the farm he considered his own - with slight addition to include our neighbor’s pine forest filled with tantalizing smells.

He loved children, and children loved him because they knew they had a friend. This included a granddaughter hug - front legs encompassing with the granddaughter safely under Gunner.

When I first saw his picture a bio on the DRT website, I told my wife that here was a dog that needed us, and we needed to help him. He became an important part of our lives. He would curl up next to one of us anytime we sat down somewhere, and would want his ears scratched. He was never gone long, always came back when he was called. And he never, ever missed a meal.

He was something of a practical joker. If he managed to get one of his toys outside, he would promptly bury it, and then expect me to find it and uncover it. All the while giving me an “how did that get there look”.

We will miss Gunner. He can’t be replaced.

Tom & Margaret

AUDREY
10/23/2016

I remember the first time we saw you. Sitting way in the far corner of the enclosure,

shy, scared and shaking. It took several visits before Carol would let us take you home.

Even after we got you home you spent a few days in the dining room not too sure what

was going on.

It didnt take you long to become a loyal member of the family, you followed me around

everywhere I would go you were right there beside me.

You loved your summers in Maine, you got to run free and enjoy mother nature. I can

still see you chasing the squirels and catching a couple.

You became our loving and devoted velcro dog always with us.

Rest in peace sweet gal, you are truly missed and never to be forgotten.

Thank you Carol for letting us take this beautiful gal home and have her for 8 years. We adopted her on November 16, 2008 and she crossed over the bridge on October 23,2016

years. Florence & Bert

APOLLO (f/n/a "Aristotle Pup")
10/06/2016

Hey Carol,

I just wanted to let you know that we have lost Apollo. While I was on a motorcycle trip I got a call from Ann that Jaeger had been barking uncontrollably and when she went downstairs to see why, she found Apollo in the process of having a seizure. He eventually came around but shortly thereafter had a second seizure. Ann got my oldest daughter to come over and help her load him into my SUV and drive to the emergency clinic.

I came straight home and on the way called the vet the next morning. He said he was pretty sure it was a brain tumor and that he had had a third seizure that morning. He was going to start a steroid and said to call the next day. That same night I got a call he was in coronary failure and asked if I wanted resuscitation. I said let him go and had him cremated.

We had Apollo just short of eleven years. He turned eleven in May. I thought he was doing well for his age and size. A few weeks prior to this happening I noticed he was restless and seemed to be confused. I guess it was the tumor. He has been a very special dog. He was always kind to humans and animals. He was especially gentle with small dogs and children. He would always greet me when I came home but was willing to get some attention and then go lay down. If you sat on the sofa he wanted to get into your lap but would settle for just his head. Which of course became most of his upper body. He was a fierce barker but a coward at heart so he would scare people coming to the house but then once they were in he was their instant friend. Not much of a real guard dog but he put on a good face.

We had other dogs that would not always get along but Apollo was the peace maker. He would nip the offending dog in the butt to distract him from the fight. He will be sorely missed. Jaeger is acting funny now as if he really misses the old guy. We are not going to replace him right now but I would really like another dog to keep Jaeger company. He is still restless and needs constant distractions but is a very sweet dog. Maybe next year we can consider something. I would like a mature dog that would be easy to integrate into the family but young enough to play with Jaeger.

Thank you so much for bringing Apollo into my life. It is still hard to imagine he is gone.

Jim

CADBURY_CODY
08/18/2016

Sorry to say that we had Cody released from his pain from lymphoma and was laid to rest at home by a vet. He was suffering too badly with blood in his urine and in his drool, not being able to eat or drink. He let us know that he was ready and it was time for him to leave the pack behind, that's strange when a pack is close enough to feel each others pain... Love and miss him. ..Thank you Carol for allowing us to improve upon each others life. We have decided it is time for us to travel just a bit and leave the pain of his not being here at home greeting us behind. We have lost our pack member.

SUZIE (f/n/a SUSANNA)
08/15/2016

It is with a very heavy heart and too many tears that we said farewell to our Susanna (Suzie) last night at our home. Suzie's heart condition worsened to the point where she not only had very labored breathing, an arrythmia, a leaky valve, but her heart had enlarged to a size that began pressing on her trachea and would not allow her to eat or swallow. To see this vibrant, joyous and exuberant girl go from the picture of her lying on the patio to the picture of her lying on the sofa (and yes she is wearing a sweater in the middle of an August heat wave because her circulatory system could not pump blood properly throughout her body and her limbs were very cold and she would shiver), was a tragedy beyond proportions for us. This DCM (dilated cardio myopathy) advanced so fast and so hard that it went undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for over a year! Poor Suzie had congestive heart failure a week ago Sunday to find all this out. Then within a week of some heavy duty meds too many to count and lots of love, she just deteriorated before our eyes! There is no cure. Dobermans are prone to this disease and we knew this going into our adoption years ago. But all the joy these guys bring us outweigh the pain. Both Jeff and I are devastated. We are now a home of one Dobie, Becker, and we will wait to see how this course goes. Poor Becker relied on Suzie for about everything so this is very new to him. We are proud of him and hopefully he will help us like we will help him with this awful transition to single dog life. We want to thank all that helped us with Suzie. It did not make it easier but it was helpful. We are hoping Suzie crossed over that rainbow bridge without a hitch and met our Macie to show her around. We will meet you again one day my girl and cannot wait to see that happy dobie smile, your wiggling butt with a nub for a tail, and your zeal with which you went through life. Suzie taught us a few things while here. To approach each day with so much zest that you literally wiggle around with joy! Suzie never met a person or other animal she did not instantly love. She taught us to stop and smell the roses once in a while, sit on the sofa and pet another puppy, and try to take our time. She was truly a one of a kind who no matter how zealous she was, always made time for us. Valuable lesson here for the crazy life we have in VA. Suzie was 8yrs 8 months old only. Way to young. We have had her love for 5 years now and they were the best 5 years we have ever spent. We will take her lessons to heart literally. God speed Suzie and we will be together again one day. We love you so much. 😥🙏🏼♥️♥️♥️♥️

KATE (f/n/a ANGELEU)
06/19/2016

Carol ….. we lost our Kate, and Pete`s soul mate on June 9 . Even though she was only with us for six short months , it`s been hard writing this as things happened so suddenly that we didn`t have a chance to really say our goodbyes, and Pete is still grieving for her . They were truly soul mates from the moment they met .

When they met at DRT , they bonded almost immediately and only got closer as time went on.

Her first night with us at the mountain house , she wouldn`t come upstairs at bedtime .Pete stood at the top of the stairs looking at Kate, then us and then went downstairs and spent the night on the rug beside her ! That`s when we knew they were meant for each other .

Kate loved the freedom of the mountain and spent many a happy hour exploring with Pete and riding in the Mule. She loved to dig and the woods were perfect for that . Many times , all we could see of her was her rear in the air and her head buried in the ground . She also decided that our bed was perfect for two people and two Dobermans at the same time .

She got to know all the neighbors back home and on the mountain by running out to meet everyone that came by …. and could`t understand why some of them wouldn`t stop to pet her .

Pete taught her that squirrels were to be chased , to ride with her head out the window, that the UPS driver and the mailman had biscuits for them and it was fun to lick wine glasses after we were finished . She taught him to be more of a gentleman and learn how to use his nose , however , she wasn`t above taking a pork chop off the table when we weren`t looking .

In early June , Kate got sick and the vet found an enlarged spleen and an ultrasound showed tumors on it , which they removed . A week later , this sweet lady crossed the Bridge while we held her . We found out later she had a very aggressive cancer and had less than three months left even with treatment .

Our first trip back to the mountains without her was hard on all of us as we kept looking in the back to see if she was there . When we got back home , Pete went through the house looking for her . He`s still grieving for her, as we are, and has quiet moments where he just looks off into space .

We can still see her running across the yard after a squirrel with her ears flopping and a big grin on her face as she came back to us , or her head buried in the ground as dirt flew out behind her .

Rest in peace sweet lady …. know that you are missed badly and will never be forgotten.

LILA (fna MISS BEASLEY)
06/05/2016

Dear Carol, I have wanted to write for a month, but just couldn't. Our precious Lila crossed the "Rainbow Bridge" yesterday at 5:19 p.m. We had her 9 1/2 years, but not long enough. We found out a month ago that she had cancer and it was in her lymph nodes. She had had a mass removed several years ago that was benign but another mass came then her lymph nodes became enlarged. We knew we were in trouble then. Allen and I are absolutely heart broken. She was absolutely the BEST dog we have ever owned. She was perfect for us. We have cried until our eyes are almost closed. Our house feels so empty this morning, but we know that she felt loved every day we had her and we gave her the best life a dog could have. She ran our 20 acres with Allen almost every day weather permitting. Everyone loved her. She truly was a sweet heart. I nicknamed her "Baby Girl" even though she was 90 pounds. We want to thank you for giving us such an incredible dog. Maybe down the road we can rescue another one, but right now our hearts are aching too much for her.

Again, thank you for Lila. We did want to update you. I am sorry I did not let you know a month ago, but I think I was in denial. I stayed home with her almost every day the entire month of May. We did have a wonderful vet come to the house and her transition was less than one minute. She was ready to go, but we were not ready to let her go, but loved her too much to allow her to suffer a horrible death. Darlene

Thank you for remembering her. Allen and I were sharing today that we did not realize how much Lila "ran" this house. She let us know when she wanted out to play or she was hungry, or if company was coming, etc. Our house is so quiet without her. We also had to "rescue" our son's Brussels Griffin dog 5 years ago and he has not eaten today. He has been very quiet and stayed right next to me all day. He has not barked at all. He would get behind her and bark when someone came in the door, but not today. She was his source of strength! She truly has left a big empty hole in our hearts. Again, thanks.

BRANDYWINE
03/28/2016

When I think about the passing of our sweet Brandywine, the word devastation doesn’t even do it justice. “Brandy” crossed rainbow bridge suddenly after collapsing on Monday while on her walk, outside, doing what she loved. We were able to spend two wonderful years with her and share all of the love and affection that she so deserved. Although not nearly enough time was given to her or us, we certainly spoiled our little diva as much as possible! She was a beautiful dog with a wonderful, tender spirit, and I’m quite positive we will never find another dobe quite like her. Her radiating character was contagious, and everyone who met her instantly fell in love with our gentle girl. She was also a celebrity- one of the most successful cases of stem cell implantation to treat urinary incontinence at NC State! Being by her side through part of that process and seeing her progression to normalcy was truly an honor.

There are countless things that we will miss about Brandy- that adorable dober-grin when we walked in the door, her soft ears and sweet kisses, cuddling on the couch with her, her true hatred of squirrels (and other dogs- only child syndrome!), her obsession with chasing carpenter bees in the back yard, just to name a few. But mostly, we will miss having her in our lives because she made our world better. Very seldom do you experience unconditional love like that, and she epitomized “man’s best friend.” She was our best friend, our sweet girl, and most importantly an instrumental member of our family. We love her dearly and will miss her until we meet again.

Blake and Carly Bralich

WHITMAN
03/16/2016

Whitman Ellis

Over 8 years ago, Bill wanted another Doberman to keep our female Delilah (also a Doberman) company and help her and us to ease the pain of losing our first Doberman from you (Buddy). He checked on your web page and found a male Doberman (Whitman) available, so he called you for an appointment to meet him.

Whitman was extremely shy, and had been with DRT for almost a year or longer, no one seemed interested in him because of his shyness and maybe too, the Battle Cut Ears he had.

Bill kept going out to “bond with him”, Whitman would not even take a treat from Bill to start with, so Bill did not give up, he kept going out to DRT and finally on about his 11th visit, Carol suggested he bring his female Doberman out to meet Whitman as well. Well, now, that did the trick, Whitman fell in love on first sight of Delilah, and he came up to Bill along with Delilah and took some treats and a few pets on his head, and the rest is history.

Whitman came to live with us on March 15, 2008 and would never leave Bill's side. Whitman was Bill's shadow. Due to Cancer and Heart issues, he passed to the other side March 15, 2016, exactly 8 years to the date he came to live with us. We are trying to adjust and it, as most of you know, is not an easy thing to do.

Whitman was 90 pounds, and 27” tall, and the outlook for replacing him is slim.We have gotten 3 Doberman's over the years from Carol, so keep an eye out for a duplicate Carol.

Nancy (and Bill) Ellis

3-20-16

BERKELEY (f/n/a Kahlua)
02/12/2016

Berkeley, the prettiest red Doberman with a cowlick on her nose, I will never forget you. You were my best friend from the day I adopted you, January 2007, until the day you went to heaven, February 2016. You were so sweet and greeted everyone with a smile. You did bark to warn me, but then you loved everyone that came in the door. I will miss you with all my heart.

HARBINGER (f/n/a Heart)
12/17/2015

here is my memory for him....

F.K.A. Heart will always be known as Harbinger

It is with great sadness that I let you know that Harbinger has crossed over the rainbow bridge today. He came down with Osteosarcoma in his front left leg. The cancer spread quickly, so we decided it was best for him to journey on without much suffering.

I was volunteering with DRT a lot back then. I got the privilege to work with the rambunctious dobermans. I didn't mind, they were a challenge, and a lot of them responded well to me. Harbinger was no different. He was full of himself, a lot of pent up energy. I have always had a love for the fawns. Harbinger fit the bill, so we adopted him. From day one at our house, he knew what his responsibilities were, watching over our son, Aaron. He did so with great authority. He was loyal to the core. He was spoiled rotten by me, of course. And, while he loved aggravating Tina, she spoiled him in her own way. He will be greatly missed.

I want to thank Carol for entrusting him with our family. It means so much to me. I love him, and miss him. I love you, Carol, for letting me take care of him.

Mike Boyle

PVT 11th Virginia Company G

Ron Durrance Memoriam
12/13/2015

I put a check in the mail to DRT yesterday. It is a small contribution to the wonderful work you do.

It is in memory of my dear brother who lovingly referred to my two precious babies as Doodlebug (Delilah) and Big Sammy.

He spent a good deal of time with us at the lake house in GA in 2013 and 2014 before I had to come back to Charlotte.

Of course they went with me in March when we went to Memphis to take care of him. He had his yard fenced so they could go outside by themselves, and allowed me to turn his "daily driver" (the car he drove every day, as opposed to his sports car or utility vehicle, the pick up truck) into "the dog car" so I could take them down to Shelby Farms (a huge wide open space with paths, trails, etc.) every day for our daily walks.

He let us take over his house and turn it into our house even though he wasn't a huge fan of all the dog hair, and they loved him till the day he died. They grieved with mommy when he left his house for the last time in the hearse, visibly saddened that Uncle Ron was gone.

Please use it as you see fit to help another Dobe find his or her forever home.

Beth (and Ron) Durrance

RAMBO (f/n/a RAMPART)
09/02/2015

Hi Carol, It's with a heavy heart and tears that we inform you that Rambo passed away last nite in his sleep. He was a great dog and family member and will be greatly missed. Our family will have a hole in our hearts and he will be missed dearly.

Darrell, Marilyn and Rosie

SADIE (f/n/a STARS PUP)
08/26/2015

SADIE (MUELLER)

2/14/14 – 8/26/15

Our dream of owning another Doberman puppy (our 5th Dobergirl) was fulfilled in July 2014 after someone surrendered 4 puppies and their mother to DRT and Carol called us. We were more than delighted to drive from KY to NC to pick up this precious bundle of love and joy who we called Sadie. Born on Valentine’s Day, she was indeed a LOVER! We fell head over heels in love with Sadie by the time we got her home. She was a bit overwhelmed at first, of course, but showering her with love brought out all her good qualities. She was a fast learner and so very, very eager to please and be part of our family.

She never outgrew her LOVE of cuddling with Al or me, in a chair, on a sofa, wherever we were, she wanted to be there too—and she was!

Sadie was love and fun personified. Though usually clowning around, she had a serious side too and her intuitiveness and sensitivity to our feelings was remarkable. If I was sad, she knew it and came to cuddle with me. If we were joyous, she was happy too, and her stumpy little Doberman tail seldom quit wagging. She did everything in perfect harmony with us. She was perhaps, the most loving, fun, yet obedient dog we’ve ever own. I told Carol that if there is such a thing as a perfect pet, it was our wonderful Sadie.

Sadly, she contracted Blastomycosis this summer, and we lost her on 8/26/15. We were only allowed to share our lives with her for 13 months, and our pain is nearly unbearable. Blasto is a dreadful disease which robbed her of her vision and also attacked her lungs and caused her to lick obsessively at a couple of spots on her body. We took Sadie to two specialists but, in the end, there was nothing that would prolong her life. Naturally, Al and I have been miserable since she was diagnosed on 8/14/15, but Sadie never lost her joy for living and always responded to us with love and enthusiasm. Even though she couldn’t see and she was losing this terrible battle with disease, her little stump continued to wag every time she heard our voices.

Sadie has left a hole in our hearts and lives that seems almost too deep to fill. She was my “Special puppy” and “Peanut-Pie.” She was Al’s “Sweets” and right-hand girl. We’ve had many other dogs and 4 other Dobes, and each has been unique and we’ve truly loved each and every one of them. However, I wonder if sometimes God gives you that one pet who is extra special. At this moment, I believe that was Sadie. Beautiful, fun-loving, compassionate, loyal, obedient: nearly perfect. Sadie, my Love, I’ll be looking for you at the Bridge!! Until then, we love you, love you, love you!

If there was ever a perfect Dobergirl, it was our Sadie! Obedient, loving, compassionate, smart, fun-loving, willing to please, guard dog but also VERY friendly. Sweet, sweet, sweet always! Al & Linda

(An article relating to Blasto will be in the next DRT Newsletter.)

KATY (f/n/a MAEBELLE)
08/18/2015

Hi Carol:

It is with sadness that we tell you that yesterday Katy had to be put to sleep. She was on her morning walk and her hip area collapsed. Christy called me and I drove over (around the block) and put her in the back of the car. It looked like a hip socket. I called her vet and we all went immediately to them for x-rays. Once the x-rays were taken the vet came in and was nearly crying when she said Katy had bone cancer and the bone had just given way (femur). They checked further and found a mass on the liver. The only choice was to amputate her leg and start chemo for the other mass. We could also take her to Cornell Univ. for a second opinion. We would never make her go through that, so after spending some time with her and talking, we decided the only thing to do was put her to sleep. We were all there loving and kissing her while they gave her the shot and she went without a peep.

Our beautiful, loving, sweet Katy. We will miss her so much and are so thankful that we were able to have her for 5 years. We thank you so much for allowing us to adopt her and enjoy her for that short time. She will be missed so much from waking up with her in our bed, her long walks with Dad in the am & Christy at night, helping Mom at every meal and hoping she would get something, sitting on her bed and watching us eat and hoping something would be left for her, having her bony on the screened porch late afternoon, and being with one of us her entire life with us and never alone. We and everyone else loved her so much. She was the sweetest dog we had ever seen.

I hope you remember that we moved from Florida to NY last summer and just be assured that Katy loved it and her fenced yard, screened porch, and front porch. She loved seeing people and other dogs go by.

Again, thank you for allowing us to have her in our lives.

Ike, RoseAnn, & Christy Miller

ELLA
08/12/2015

Good Morning Miss Carol,

I hope this finds you doing well? Unfortunately, this email is not bringing good news..... well, not good for Michele and I, but not so bad for Ella. In January baby girl developed a cancer in the roof of her mouth. We had it removed 4x, each time we had it removed, it seemed to some back even faster. So we finally decided that we would just let nature take it's course. It's gotten to the point now that we have to feed her soft food soaked in water (like a soup) and poor girl can't even enjoy her daily dental bones/cookies. Her mouth is painful, bleeds, her hips and arthritis are all taking their toll on her 12 year old body. Up until yesterday, she was.... well.... Ella! She always wagged her nub of a tail while eating that soupy mess, always struggled to get up and greet, kiss you when you came in a room... but yesterday, she looked at us with those soulful eyes and did everything but speak the words. We are completely comfortable sending her home today at 1600 to her Bestie in Heaven. We're Positive that Dacquari can't wait for her soul mate to join her. <3

I can Promise you that Ella led a Full, Happy, Best of Everything, Adventure of a life with us. We can't Thank You Enough for Saving her and allowing her to be our family member. She (and by proxy), you changed our lives for the best, forever!

With Love and Appreciation,Vic and Michele

LADY P (f/n/a PEYTON)
06/14/2015

BRUCE ROBINSON_DosPup
05/12/2015

I want to thank Carol and Doberman Rescue for all the great work they do for such a great breed. Our family adopted our dobie, Bruce, from Carol ten years ago this year. We recently lost Bruce to heart failure and we continue grieving our loss, but celebrate owning such a great dog. Plenty of people will say their dog or breed is the best, however, Bruce was sincerely extraordinary. I can say more than one person we met along life's path with him (and we were plenty of places, including Italy!), commented on what a wonderful, loving, and easy going personality he had. Several even told us since meeting him, they were considering owning a Doberman. We never failed to tell them the benefits of rescue and Bruce's humble beginnings. Our current neighbor even wrote a poem for us when he passed away...he had that much of an impact on folks. Bruce was a true ambassador of the breed. Some think the best of best are only found at shows...not so at all.

If you are reading this and thinking of owning one of these dogs, I cannot tell you they will be just like Bruce, as I said, he was extraordinary. What I can tell you, is you are almost guaranteed to get a very faithful, loving, and grateful companion for your family. Bruce loved people and we loved him. We miss him like crazy everyday, but I know our family and a lot of others, were blessed by his time here.

Take Care and God Bless,

Robinsons

REX SAEMISCH
04/20/2015

Carol,

It is with torn apart hearts, swolen red eyes and tears that we said good bye to Rex this evening as our vet let him go peacefully home.

I once again want to thank you for allowing him to share his life with our family. He brought so much love and countless smiles to us all everyday.

His loving groans, quirky smile and oh how many kisses he shared with my wife - pretty sure he got more than I did! In fairness, he probably gave her more than I did as well.....

We will all sorely miss him. He faught a great fight and in the end he won peace forever.....God Speed Rex!

Remember us as you find forever homes for the soon to be family members you place every week, if we can be of any help at all - please let us know.

Thank you Carol, for the irreplaceable gift of love and joy you provided my family through Rex!

Scott & Elizabeth

ORION KIRBY
04/17/2015

Our sweet boy died Friday. He had been showing some odd symptoms of something wrong last weekend and by Monday his breathing was labored. The vet was out of town till Thursday and when I got him in there she X-rayed him and saw that his lungs were full of fluid. She removed almost a quart from each lung, and he seemed so much better that I was unprepared for her diagnosis. He had cancer.

I took him back the next AM and a guy there did an ultrasound and told me that he had too much wrong with him to make it much longer. Overnight he developed "bloat" that fatal large dog disorder that can be fixed with surgery but they said a dog with fluid in his lungs cannot be operated on, hell he could be killed by the anesthesia . He was now in so much pain that there was only one call. From--"he seems to have a problem" to his death was not even a week. Still hard to understand, much less deal with.

When we came to Greensboro to have him join us, you said he was going to a forever home. I really wish forever could have lasted a lot longer.

STORMY MCPEAK
04/07/2015

Stormy after being with us for 11 years, went to Doggie Heaven April 3, 2015 at 10:45 AM. He fought a courageous battle with bone cancer. We are heartbroken, of coarse. Stormy came to us from Doberman Rescue of the Traid after losing 3 dogs to cancer in 6 weeks. He had a big hole in our hearts to fill and he did just that. I have included pictures of Stormy below with him doing his sail into the lake that so many people loved to see and he would repeat and repeat, his silliness as a puppy, on our patio saying "let me in", his battle with cancer and last but not least he always climbed into Daddy's chair with him every morning to take his first map of the day while Dad read the paper and he did so on his last morning with us.

Thank you Carol for the most dynamite dog in the world - we are grateful for having him.

Love,

Kathy McPeak

Radford Va

SWEET JOSEY
03/29/2015

Hi Carol,

I am writing with immeasurable sadness to let you know that we lost our sweet, sweet Josey last Thursday. She had sudden onset of Wobblers (so said the specialist) and had lost use of all 4 legs. It was so heart breaking for us. I like to think we gave her a great 10 years full of love and happiness. We never even so much as raised our voices at her. Honestly, she was able to get away with murder because we always knew she had a rough start and we never wanted her to have a single bad day. Not that she ever did anything wrong in our eyes.

Thank you so much for letting us have this beautiful girl as part of our family. She was truly a blessing to us and we treasured her everyday. The hole we are left with is just tremendous. She was so quirky and funny - our precious little weirdo ♡ Josey marched to the beat of her own drum and we loved taking the ride with her. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for bringing her into our lives.

Take care,

Kim and Kevin Brady

RIVER BRUNNER
03/11/2015

March 11, 2015It's with a heavy heart we had to say goodbye to our beautiful angel, River. He had developed osteosarcoma.He found us 10 yrs ago when we travelled to DRT to find a companion for us and Smokey. What an amazingbond River had with his love, Smokey. River was such a gentle spirit. He brought us such love. He was alwaysfull of life, always happy. River will live on in what we do. We will see you again River!Laurie and Tim Brunner

VIOLET
03/10/2015

BLOSSOM BROWN
02/16/2015

Carol,

First I just wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to share some time with Blossom. It was only a little over two years that I had here but she made those two years amazing. She was the best dog I have ever had. She loved playing and running when she could and sleeping anytime she couldn't lol. Since I got her my family has grown as I am engaged to be married on May 30th. I have been with Kathy now for almost two years and she loved blossom just as much as myself and blossom loved her. She moved in with me and her two girls that she has from her first marriage that was right out of high school and didn't turn out well. Blossom to my surprise took to the girls right away and they to her, she was great with them, even tried to raise Brooke (she was one at the time) to drink from her water bowl. We had to put a stop to that one though. Blossom loved to go everywhere I did, even if it was just to the store. She traveled with all of us quiteregularly, a little cramped at times with Kathy, me, the two girls and two dogs all in one truck but we made it work. I loved blossom more than I though possible toward a dog, she was always cheerful and could always cheer me up after a bad day at work. Back in December her kidneys started failing on her, the vet guessed just from old age as she was healthy otherwise. We had her on IV's daily and some medicine to calm her stomach for a while but she didn't get any better as the vet said she might not. It was also obvious she was in pain with her back arched and she wouldn't do much at all but she still loved to lay with me and just cuddle. In mid January when we went back to the vet again she was getting worse and in a lot of pain, the vet told me she would not be able to keep this up much longer and treatment was not doing much for her. I made what had to be the hardest decision of my life, we put her down the next day. It has taken me a month just tobe able to write this email to you, I am sorry it took so long. I buried her out back by where she used to always lay in the sun and watch the girls play on there swing set, so now she can always watch them. It has been hard on all of us losing her, she was a part of our family and everyone who knew or met her loved her. I put some pictures of her on here, most of them at the house and one of here photo bombing Kathy, Kathy was posing in front of the truck when we were in Kentucky and if you look hard blossom photo bombed her from inside the truck just to the left of Kathy's head. Sorry this was kind of long winded but I thought you would want to know about her. Thank you again for the letting me adopt the prettiest dobi girl I have ever seen. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Thank You Again,

Jacob

Thorpe
01/17/2015

Thorpe never quite made the journey to a permanent, forever home. Sadly he passed away on January 17th 2015. Thankfully, the memories and images of his boundless spirit and regal presence will in my heart forever….such a noble Doberman.

Confusing as it may seem, technically he wasn’t mine, but in the truest sense, he really was mine.

Please indulge me as I relate the days spent with Thorpe. He was always eager to be my “office roommate” at Elijah’s House, spending many hours on his favored dog bed. He often accompanied me during errand runs (riding in the car) and seemed pleased that we could share the day. During his exercise walks with volunteers, he would always lilt his head, longingly and lovingly in my direction.

Once he became too ill to be left alone, we decided to care for him at our home. He stubbornly climbed the steps to my study, only to be challenged by the trip down. He spent his final days sitting on the great room couch with Vick, “watching” TV. His stay at Elijah Houe and our home lasted a very short three years – while he was to never truly experience the joys of adoption, his days with us were filled with love, attention and tranquil surroundings that I’m sure lessened the tormented anxiety that characterized his earlier behavior.

We miss you Thorpie, you are one of the best – my faithful canine companion – I cherish having shared this space on earth with you. Sleep in peace, my sweet prince.

SHEARER
01/09/2015

It is with great sadness that we report our sweet Shearer has crossed Rainbow Bridge.

It is truly a pleasure to have been graced with Shearer’s presence during her time at Elijah’s House. In battling an aggressive form of bone cancer in her front right leg, we were able to see the amazing resiliency that Shearer possessed during her treatment, and in her remission.

We all have an overabundance of fond memories from the time we shared with Shearer. A few volunteers liked to call her our “Southern Sweetheart” because she always lovingly greeted us at the door at Elijah’s House. She would even do it for the new dobes! She had a sweet soul and spirit, and I will miss the warmness that I felt from her company.

In addition to giving loads of affection, Shearer received an incredible amount of love and care at Elijah’s House. Carol worked tirelessly to provide a top-notch environment and treatment plan to enhance and prolong her quality of life. We all witnessed her thrive and overcome tremendous obstacles with steadfast elegance, and it is something I will not soon forget. I can’t think of a better place for her to spend her final days.

Thank you for the outpouring of generous love and support for Shearer. Your compassion gave her many wonderful days on this earth. To paraphrase a special poem, she may be gone from our lives, but it is certain that she will never be absent from our hearts. Carly Hughes, DRT Volunteer and Adopter

A note from Carol regarding Shearer:

In all my years amongst Dobermans, I have never encountered such a happy-go-lucky, upbeat dog. Shearer was always in such Pollyannaish mood, sort of smiling, as she greeted me at the door to Elijah’s House. I titled her “the official greeter” at Elijah’s House; her friendly demeanor always manifested itself in a welcoming gesture as she would extend that amicable nature through warm, physical contact with every visitor we had.

I suspect she had a miserable life in a puppy mill, living outside in a mud filled, dirt lot with only a decrepit, plastic dog crate as cover from the elements. It became obvious that she was used for breeding and was then “discarded” when she developed cancer in her front leg. Thankfully, a rescue angel found her and brought her to DRT.

Despite the subsequent amputation and chemotherapy treatments for the Osteosarcoma Shearer never despaired, and you could quickly discern the joyful, positive attitude she had about everything and everyone she encountered. Her standard welcoming was to greet each new Doberman that entered our program and communicate, “you’re in a safe place now.”

My belief is that she came to us for a reason, and the essence of my thinking is bounded in the theory that it was to teach us a life lesson….’Be Happy and pass it along to all you meet’ – in the five months she was with us, going through a leg amputation and chemotherapy, there was only a single day in which she didn’t display that bubbly, cheerful attitude. It was the onset of the fluid buildup in her chest cavity. Once the fluid was drained, she was back to normal. Unfortunately the cancer metastasized to the lungs very quickly and she passed peacefully in her sleep.

I shall always carry the memories holding Shearer’s happy spirit close to me, positive in every way

BECKLEY FAMA
10/15/2014

BECKLEY is gone …10-15-14)

This odyssey of love began on a cold, rainy day in Beckley, West Virginia, in 2008 when two young, frightened Dobes, brother and sister, joined our forever home. We pledged never to separate them, and named them Beckley and Christian.

Now, Beckley, my shadow is gone. Her brother, Christian, left us a year ago and she was devastated. They were quite the pair, always together, always in perfect synchronism. I know she missed him terribly and seemed to attach herself even more closely to me after he passed. Wherever I went, Beckley was beside me. If I walked away from her too quickly and she missed following me into another room, I’d see her pop her little nose around the corner as though to say “heh, there you are; thought you lost me, didn’t you?”

This year, she contracted a serious disease that robbed her of platelets; this was compounded by the onset of DCM and ultimate heart failure. She fought like a trooper but in the end could not withstand the ravages of excessive medications for the many health issues she had to fight. Her trips back and forth to NCState in Raleigh were fun filled, riding in the car, being with her mom, but she always was quite anxious going into the examining rooms.

She was the Dobe that was always had the worried look on her face … worried about revisiting those early frightening days in West Virginia, worried about someone leaving her, worried about where she was going, worried about life in general. Christian was her rock, and then he passed. I know they’re together again doing that Dobie Sibling Ballet that I loved to watch … I’ll see you some day at the Bridge, my beautiful girl.

Beckley’s anxiety manifested itself in ways that were often vexing – she’d chew up all the tissues in the waste paper baskets and, often times, enjoyed shredding the “satisfying” pages of a soft-cover book. I’ve actually kept the remains of the last one you destroyed, my dear girl;, it sits on my desk as a constant reminder of you!

Casino
10/12/2014

Hi Carol,

We adopted a dobe from you name Casino several years ago... Back in 2005! We changed his name to Casey!

Just wanted to let you know we had to let Casey go this morning! He has been fighting cancer for about a year now and had an inoperable growth on his right hip and several other spots too. He has not been in any pain but as it progressed be had to use his left leg more and more for support. A couple nights ago he lay down and could not get up without help. He seemed to get over that but last night it happened again and it hurt him for me to try to help him. This morning he went out and as he was coming back in his left leg collapsed and he could not get up at all. It was terrible. He was so afraid!!

We could not allow him to continue to suffer! This is not the life he was used to! Our vet came out and we let him go! It was sad but he is better off now!

I just wanted to thank you for allowing us to adopt him and spend all these years with him. As you see he fit right in and my grandson adored him! We had him longer than any other dobe we ever had.

Again, Thank You very much!

Sincerely,

Mike & Beth

J_J
07/18/2014

We felt it fitting to memorialize Josie and Jesse together, as that's the way they came to us Thanksgiving weekend 2010. Having lost Roxie our non-rescue Dobe that we had raised from a pup several weeks before, and our DRT big boy Teddy FKA Teton the previous year, both at 12 yrs old, it was mighty quiet around the house. Joy said "we've got to go see Carol". So we made arrangements to go on Sunday.

We went to DRT that day with the intention of finding another friend and ended up finding 2. Both had come back to DRT after several years and had some age on them, which was not an issue for us, as we had rescued precious Teddy at 7. Josie FKA Darci was 8 1/2 and Jesse FKA Yogi was 6 1/2. As they played together at DRT, we knew that these 2 were meant to be together. They were two peas in a pod and enjoyed each other immensely.

Josie December 19, 2001-April 18, 2012

Josie, we were told, had been with her previous family for 7 years. We're not really sure what happened that brought her back to DRT, but we think it was another dog or possibly a new baby that made it so that they couldn't keep her anymore. Whatever the reason, it was truly a blessing for us. She was petite by Doberman standards, not quite as tall as most, and weighed about 55 pounds. She was a bit skittish a first, surely from the changes going on in her life, but she came around very quickly. She and Jesse loved to play and run around in the yard. They had lots of fun together. She loved racing by the fence, back and forth with Riley, our neighbors dog and she had her spot in our bed down by our feet. We loved her dearly. Unfortunately, in the fall of 2011, she was diagnosed with advanced liver disease and we were told that she wouldn't get any better, but that her problems weren't painful. We were determined to give her all the best days she could have. We took both of our velcro kids to the mountains for Thanksgiving and let them run in the fields. We think they had the time of their lives. We all spent our Christmas and New Years together. She enjoyed seeing Spring approach with the flowers and warm weather. However, on April 18, 2012, she let us know that it was time. Jesse was sad when his pal left us.

Jesse July 20, 2004-June 30, 2014

Jesse had been brought back to DRT by his owner after 3 years, as he had gotten a new job in New York and wasn't going to be able to take him. Although he must have been heartbroken to have to give him up, it was our lucky. day. We have to give credit to his previous owner, Jesse must have had a good life before he came to us. He moved in like he had been here forever. He found his spot on the couch and in the bed, right in the middle between mom and dad. Thank God for king sized beds.He never met anyone he didn't like. If someone had broken into the house, he would have laid his head in their lap, and if they would have petted him, he would have let them take everything. He was that kind of guy. After Josie left, there was no doubt that he was lonely. Considering a move to a smaller home with possibly a much smaller yard, we decided to get him a smaller dog as a companion. We rescued Katie, an 8 month old border collie mix. She truly put new life into him. At 8 yrs old, he at times acted like a pup again, running all over the place. They loved each other from the beginning. Looking back, maybe he ran too much for his age and considering he was earlier diagnosed with a disc issue, but he had so much fun, we could never have deprived him of that. He was enjoying life again and it was a pleasure to watch. In the fall of 2013, Jesse started having mobility problems. It was difficult at times for him to get up, and was also diagnosed with elevated liver enzymes. With medication, we were able to keep those problems at bay. Sometime he would have a slow day, but mostly he was still enjoying life. About 2 months ago, he started having digestive issues. We thought that was getting better but it wasn't. The last weekend of June, he became very sick and it was determined that without putting him through a great deal of pain and suffering, he was not going to survive. He crossed the bridge on June 30, 2014, 3 weeks before his tenth birthday.

It broke our hearts to lose them both, but we know that we did everything possible to make every day of their lives extra special. It's too painful to dwell on the way they died. It's a joy to talk about the way they lived and loved while they were here. Although our time with them was too short, it was all worth it. Some people may think that adopting an older dog is trouble waiting to happen. Believe us, it's just the opposite, especially when you see the love they have for you when they get to their forever home. They showed us, and we gave them a lifetime of love in the time we were fortunate to be blessed with their presence. We know that someday we will have the privilege to be with " Little Jose" and "Angel Boy" again. It's that knowledge that provides us comfort during our times of sadness.

Josie and Jesse. . .we love you.

Max (Aka.Robbie)
06/02/2014

On Dec 3, 2005 , I was adopted by Robbie at DRT..He became Max on the way back and became a special part of my life for 8 years and my best friend.. A true companion, greeting me when I get home from out of town and always at my side when home and taking my mind off all the ‘junk’ in the world and taking his place my heart forever. Your love was unconditional and Your companionship will be cherished forever .

Goodbye Dear Friend . Until the time we meet again, We miss you tremendously..

Carol, Thanks for giving Polly and I the opportunity to have Max in our life.

Tim.

Connor
05/13/2014

Connor came into my life June 2004. He was quite a handful. He pulled the fuzz out of all the toys in the house, drug the furniture across the living room, took books off the kitchen table, stole rugs and ran through the house with them. I bought a crate for him, which he proceeded to collapse and escape. Before you knew it, my boy became one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever known. He would sit back and let people fuss over his sisters, Comet and Kyra; and when the girls would move just out of everyone’s reach, Connor would step in and enjoy the attention. Everyone that met him, wanted to take him home. I fostered numerous dogs over the years. Connor welcomed all of them into our home, even the males. Every day I would give him kisses and tell him how lucky I was that he found me. Sadly, Connor crossed the Rainbow Bridge May 13, 2014. He will be greatly missed.

Rooney
04/18/2014

Hi Carol,

I just wanted to let you know that Rooney passed away on Good Friday, 18 APR. He was a sweat heart with more love and affection than any other dog we've had. He had a zest for life and we thought of him as the son we never had. He gave us kisses and his undying love. He usually rode in the pickup front seat with me, most of the time with his head in my lap. When I sat on the sofa, he sat beside me and leaned against me so I could more easily put my arm around him. From the day we brought him home, he insisted on sleeping with us and always slept by my side. We took walks every day, weather permitting. We have a large back yard and even bigger barn yard so he always enjoyed a quick run to chase the squirrels, rabbits or go mole hunting.

It's still hard to talk about Rooney. We were his forever home, but forever was only about 4 1/2 years. He turned 6 on 2 MAR. We noticed a small lump under his jaw and took him to the vet. She suspected lymphoma and took a biopsy that came back inconclusive. She recommended a specialist in Richmond, so we took him there and they took a larger biopsy that also came back inconclusive. Another biopsy was taken and sent to the University of Colorado, and they confirmed on 1 APR that Rooney had lymphoma. There is no cure and we chose to give Rooney the most comfortable time he had remaining rather than daily bouts of chemo therapy that may have extended his life a few months but also caused nausea. We couldn't bear the idea of him having extended periods of illness and the affects of anesthesia. It broke our hearts to let him go, but he was starting to suffer from the disease and it was time to let him pass on.

I wish it was possible for me to express how truly exceptional Rooney was. He captured everyone's heart. It's still hard to talk about him, I guess it will ease with time, but we still miss him very much.

Thank you for allowing us to adopt him.

Rooney was special to us and to those who knew him, even his vet and assistants. After it was over and he had passed on, they were crying with us; we were probably quite a sight, but who cares.

Thank you for all that you do to care for and finding forever homes for these wonderful dogs.

Sincerely, Dennis & Virginia Baston

Cedrick
02/07/2014

Carol,

Going through old email and came across this. I have attached a few large-ish pictures for you do to with as you see fit. He gave us many good times (and laughs) through the years. He was definitely his own man with a strong set of opinions on who his friends were (Momma (Black Lab) and Belle (Rottweiler) were the only two dogs he would put up with). He did love his “gray hairs” – he was madly in love with both my mother and Janet’s mother, as well as anyone with gray hair. He was the sworn enemy of the possums and squirrels in our back yard. He was our King of the Couch and required that he be covered with his own special blanket on cool nights in the living room, and HAD to be under the covers in our bed at night. With him on guard, our doorbell got little use. Know that he was loved by all (as you can see by the candy cane wrapping on his leg to protect his cast in his final battle with osteosarcoma, decorated for Christmas by his favorite vet techs). We thank you for trusting us with him. We’ll be looking for him when we cross The Bridge!

Best regards,

Warren & Janet

Nova
01/06/2014

On Jan. 6, 2014, I lost my precious Nova.This sweet and loving girl came into my life right before her 6th birthday, and we lived and loved together until she was nearly 12.In our time together, Nova showed me what it means to love with all your heart; to live in the moment and not worry about tomorrow; to appreciate nature and all it sounds and scents; to play hard and often; to appreciate everyday adventures; to be patient and kind, even when you’ve had a bad day; and, in the end, to let go courageously even when you know it will break your heart.There was something indescribable about Nova, some elusive part of her spirit that touched not only me, but also everyone she met.Thank you to Carol and DRT for giving me the honor of loving this special creature. She was my best friend, my faithful shadow – my family.I loved her more than words can express.

Lee

Christian Fama
09/11/2013

I can vividly recall the day Vick returned from West Virginia with Cecil and Cinnamon, as Christian and Beckley were known in 2008. For me, it was love at first sight. This brother and sister were such frightened, gentle souls when they arrived, and, obviously, deeply dependent upon each other. Over the days, weeks and months at Elijah's House I can remember walking them out to the exercise fields without the need for leashes -- they would each walk beside me, as I affectionately petted their heads. Once into the fields, it was like watching a ballet - two Dobes seemingly “dancing” with such grace, in synchronism, on a pastoral “stage”.

Over the months Cinnamon [nka Beckley] was the favored one who everyone wanted to adopt because of her stunning beauty. Sadly, no one expressed interest in Cecil; in spite of his wonderful personality and kind demeanor, he was viewed as esthetically unappealing due to his lack of a full coat of hair.

Vick and I finally decided to bring Cecil and Cinnamon to our home to assure that they would remain together. Though they appeared somewhat timid around Vick, they always stuck by my side. If I were upstairs in my study, they'd be vigilantly lying near the computer chair waiting for me to make a move. They were inseparable - to each other and to me, doing everything in unison from riding in the car together to sleeping on the dog bed together.

In June we found out that Christian, as he was now called, showed symptoms of Atrial Fibrilation; we visited NC State –VTH in an effort to gain further insight and map out a survival strategy. He was having continual fainting and coughing episodes. Following numerous tests, our worst fears were realized by a grim prognosis – as a victim of DCM, we were advised that his life expectancy was estimated to be 2-3 months – we pledged to do everything we possibly could to help him enjoy his remaining days.

Christian’s struggle with DCM was intermixed by good and bad days - he tried his hardest for three short months to resist its debilitating effects ... When the fainting episodes returned with greater frequency [despite the introduction of new, promising medications], and his breathing became severely labored due to poor heart function, we knew it was time and had to make that difficult, unfortunate decision most of us, as pet owners, have to make – was it time?. We recognized that it would be admittedly selfish to prolong his suffering. On Christian’s final day, his loyal companion and soul mate, Beckley made the “final ride” with him to the vet's office.

Now he's gone and we miss him terribly. Christian was a happy, easy to please Dobe - each morning, even in last days, he would be there waiting for me to rise each morning - he'd greet me with a happy “Dobe” smile and lots of nub wagging. His demands were minimal - all he wanted was for his "mom" to wish him a good morning and express some show of affection as I prepared his breakfast-- of course, Beckley was beside me as well.

While Christian has left this world, fond memories of him remain with us forever. My sincere thanks to all those who have, with great kindness, expressed their sympathies.

MOLLY Mueller
01/07/2013

We wanted to let you know that our wonderful Amalie or “MOLLY” as we called her died Sat., Jan 18, exactly one month before her 7th birthday. We adopted her from DRT in October 2007 and she has been a joy in our life and lives of friends and family. Molly will live in our hearts forever. As our 4th Dobe, she was every bit true to her breed and then some! Thank you for making her part of our lives.

We believe Molly must have suffered either a heart attack or an aneurism. She and Al were outdoors doing chores Sat. afternoon I saw Molly lying next to fence where Al had seen her running and barking (outside the pasture fence). He left the immediate area to do something else while she stayed at the fence. That is when I saw her lying motionless. I hurried out, but she was gone. Apparently, one minute she was running and barking and loving life on HER farm (it was after all HERS!!), and then she was gone. The horses were way out in the pasture and weren’t near her so we can only imagine it was some sort of freak thing that ended her life so early. We’re still in shock and saddened beyond words! She’s always been so healthy and strong.

I saw the memorial page on your website, and that gave me the idea to email you. Yes, feel free to add Molly if you care too. She was always loving, loyal, and a joy to have in the family. I posted 12 photos of her on my facebook page today and we’ve been flooded with comments from family and friends who loved our wonderful Dobe almost as much as we did. She was an awesome ambassador for the breed. She was my “Little Girl” and Al’s “Partner”. We’ll miss her terribly!

God Bless you and your mission.

Al and Linda Mueller

Raisin
09/27/2011

Sadly, I must report that our beloved Raisin has lost her courageous fight against cancer – newly discovered intestinal tumors revealed a life threatening condition that was insurmountable. Once all reasonable options were exhausted, she was humanely euthanized on September 27th.

Raisin will now rest in peace under a tree at Elijah’s House, a tree whose leaves are falling in silent mourning, in a field where she ran with her characteristic exuberance. The spring green growth will signal a new beginning ,and yet another

neglected, abandoned Dobe, not unlike Raisin, will start his/her journey at DRT. While Raisin may not have survived this final challenge, her spirit will forever live in our hearts and we will continue to offer the tender virtues of love and compassion to all those who enter through our doors – for these are not simply "rescue dogs," they represent a commitment for which we have a life-long charge.

Thank you so much for your positive thoughts, prayers and financial support.